Storms have caused flooding in some regions of Italy. About 900 people were brought to safety. In parts of Croatia, too, rivers burst their banks after heavy rains.
In the Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche, heavy rains have caused flooding in some areas. In some areas on the Adriatic coast, people had to be evacuated because rivers or streams burst their banks or at least threatened to overflow due to the heavy rain. A total of around 900 people were taken to safety, the Ansa news agency reported.
In the town of Senigallia, near Ancona, the hospital’s emergency room had to be evacuated due to flooding. The Italian fire brigade also reported fallen trees, landslides and rescues of drivers in need. By the afternoon, the emergency services had been deployed on more than 120 missions, it said. Floods are mainly in the area of the river Savio – there people persevered on roofs. They were rescued by helicopter.
The railway lines between some towns in the area also had to be closed. In some cities, schools were also closed as a precaution.
Because of the strong winds and the danger of high waves, municipalities on the Adriatic have issued a ban on access to their beaches. The province of Pesaro Urbino in the Marche region was also affected. Fallen trees and mudslides were reported there, according to the fire brigade.
Formula 1 paddock cleared
The severe storms also slowed down preparations for the Formula 1 race in Imola. For safety reasons, the Italian Civil Protection ordered the paddock at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari to be cleared. The nearby river Santerno is threatening to burst its banks because of the heavy rains, the media reported.
The staff of the Formula 1 teams busy with construction work in the pit lane and in the paddock therefore had to leave the track in the afternoon. So far, however, there have been no floods on the route. The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, for which training sessions begin on Friday, is currently not in danger, it said.
Highest warning level already on Monday
Civil defense had already issued a high-level warning of floods and landslides for the Emilia-Romagna region on Monday. Residents in some provinces have been asked to avoid unnecessary travel and work from home if possible.
In the region in northern Italy, there had already been heavy rainfall at the beginning of May, and rivers had burst their banks. Several people lost their lives. Meteorologists predict that the heavy rains in Italy will continue for several more days.
floods also in Croatia
Floods have also caused damage in parts of Croatia after days of rain. The water was knee high in the streets of the village of Hrvatska Kostajnica, 90 kilometers south of Zagreb, the news portal “jutarnji.hr” reported.
The Una, a tributary of the Sava, burst its banks as a result of the rains of the past few days. Civil defense and volunteers built sandbag dams. The authorities in the 2,700-inhabitant community declared a state of emergency.
There were other floods in the small town of Obrovac near Zadar in the Dalmatian hinterland. The old town there was already flooded on Monday after the Zrmanja river burst its banks. The water level there dropped again on Tuesday, according to media reports. More rain is forecast for the next few days.